The sheriff shook his little bunch of keys and unlocked the barred door and stepped aside to allow Al Rankin to come out. He was perfectly frank in his attitude. “You know how I stand, Al,” he said. “Sooner or later I’m going to get the goods on you. Long as you stood alone, it was a hard fight. But now you’ve started to play partners.” He indicated Bob Lake with a jerk of his thumb. “The minute a gent starts doing things like that, he’s done for. I’ve seen too many of ’em come and go.”
But the temper of Al Rankin refused to be disturbed. “You’re all wrong, Bill,” he assured the sheriff. “I’m married, and I’m going to lead a life nobody can point a finger at.”
The sheriff met this speech with a cold smile of deep wisdom. “I know you’ll try to get me sooner or later,” he said. “But I’ll t
